European Politics

Perun said:
Ideologically, Russia claims Kiev because it was the origin point of the first Russian state.
Realistically, and I say this as a professional historian, if this is what comes out of people "studying" history, I wish they wouldn't do it.
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The sad thing is, a lot of people will take Putin's word for gospel. Mostly in Russia, but still ...
 
Perun said:
Ideologically, Russia claims Kiev because it was the origin point of the first Russian state.
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Muscovy could go fuck itself, their main connection to Rus' is a Swedish dynasty anyway.
Dr. Eddies Wingman said:
The sad thing is, a lot of people will take Putin's word for gospel. Mostly in Russia, but still ...
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As a Black Metal veteran, my attitude to Putin's word and gospel is indeed similar.
 
Western Europe seems more united against Putin‘s aggression than expected, again — congrats to France and now Germany in particular.
Can anyone sum up how the US population sees the role of Russia, especially republicans? I‘m a bit confused.
 
As usual the US is debating if we should blame Trump, Biden, or Obama for this .. but it is generally being reported for what it is .. a flat out land grab. I think the response is probably more generational (those who lived in the Cold War versus those that did not)
 
Yeah, Putin seems to want to restore what he can of the old Soviet empire, while blocking the eastward expansion of NATO as best as he can. The existing pipelines are a nice boon as well, although I strongly suspect this will be the last kick in the butt Germany, at least, needs to unaddict itself from Russian gas.
 
Energy is the key ... I give Germany credit for it's response with the pipeline. I think I said this after the takeover of Crimea, if you want to hurt Russia, do it though lower energy prices and more diversified sources. The US should have been rapidly expanding LNG ports, which obviously cannot supply all of Europe, but it could be one of multiple alternative sources other than Russia. Their economy is still essentially a one-trick pony
 
It's probably an even better solution to move to renewables faster, although Germany's pivot from nuclear power probably hurts them a lot as well.
 
LooseCannon said:
It's probably an even better solution to move to renewables faster, although Germany's pivot from nuclear power probably hurts them a lot as well.
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Probably . but realistically that is some time off and has been for a while. LNG more friendly countries would have been a nice bridge. For sure, shutting down the nuclear plants was a major mistake without a replacement in place
 
bearfan said:
Probably . but realistically that is some time off and has been for a while. LNG more friendly countries would have been a nice bridge. For sure, shutting down the nuclear plants was a major mistake without a replacement in place
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According to Wiki, sourced from a German government report: In "2020, Germany generated electricity from the following sources: 27% wind, 24% coal, 12% nuclear, 12% natural gas, 10% solar, 9.3% biomass, 3.7% hydroelectricity." Which puts them pretty far along the renewable track, especially for a country without a lot of hydroelectricity. However, ramping up wind and solar is time consuming, even if it is ultimately worthwhile. Other countries aren't putting such a dedicated focus into it, regretfully.
 
LooseCannon said:
According to Wiki, sourced from a German government report: In "2020, Germany generated electricity from the following sources: 27% wind, 24% coal, 12% nuclear, 12% natural gas, 10% solar, 9.3% biomass, 3.7% hydroelectricity." Which puts them pretty far along the renewable track, especially for a country without a lot of hydroelectricity. However, ramping up wind and solar is time consuming, even if it is ultimately worthwhile. Other countries aren't putting such a dedicated focus into it, regretfully.
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Germany had a good exit plan for nuclear power in place since 1998 aiming for the 2030s as a nuclear-free period, which left a lot of time for alternative energy sources to be developed. Then the liberals came to power in the second Merkel administration in 2009, tried, as they do, to turn Germany into a Randian utopia and did away with the plan for whatever free market/non-interference bs they came up with. Then Fukushima happened which led them to a populist flip-flop with a much more ill-conceived exit plan for the 2020s leaving little time to pick up the innovation threads and making Nord Stream 2 a necessity. One guy was particularly happy, and he shares his name with Canadian cheese fries with gravy.
 
There's opinion that sanctions will not work. Putin respects only strength. To stop him - without direct involvement - is to send to Ukraine lots and lots of guns. To invade modernly armed country, would be too costly for Putin.
 
Sanctions post-Crimea clearly did not do a lot of good. I do think the West should provide Ukraine with what it can as far as equipment, but the only sanctions that will really work is to stop buying energy and raw materials from Russia.

Real recent reports are that the breakaway regions are already extending their borders.
 
Putin declared war on Ukraine. Now Macron looks like complete fool. Germany and France is rotten to the core. Remember, for how many years, Baltic and other Eastern Europe countries have told 'Putin must be stopped now' but nobody listened... Europe, welcome to the new reality.
 
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